Patients and staff at the Windhoek Central Hospital are breathing a collective sigh of relief after hot water was restored to the hospital.

For 15 years, the hospital staff and patients had to use cold water only, but now the Ministry of Works and Transport has fixed the hospital's industrial electrical geyser water heating system at a cost of N$6.4 million.

The Minister of Works and Transport, Veikko Nekundi, outlined the hot water restoration project.

"We have installed 14 brand new industrial geysers with modern digital control systems, serving every floor of the main hospital, from the basement all the way to the seventh floor. That we fully refurbish the maternity wards of all the water systems, ensuring comfort and hygiene in our delivery, natal and postnatal areas where new life begins."

The Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr. Esperance Luvindao, explained why the hot water restoration project started with Windhoek Central Hospital.

"When we first announced that we started the work with the hot water, one of the comments I remember we received was, 'Yeah, but why only Windhoek?' There are other regions as well that also have the same issues. And really, to that, I wish to start off by saying that when we start in Windhoek, it doesn't mean we end in Windhoek. But there must be a starting point. You cannot initiate operations across the entire country simultaneously. You start, and then you expand."

Luvindao also provided clarification on Vision April 2026, which she said was 'a bold vision'. "A presidential directive was given to ensure that by April 2026, all senior government officials make use of state facilities, which means, ultimately, a majority of you here are not impacted."

She went on to explain that the numbers for those who must start using state facilities as of the 1st of April are no longer 1,117 senior government officials. "It's 294; senior government officials and dependants are not included."